How An Abandoned Child Became A Disciple, Church Planter And Business Planter In Mozambique
Raymond Makhamu was stolen from his family when he was two years old. It was from 1979 until 2008 that he lived his life away from his family and grew up without his parents. He was born in Mozambique and was the firstborn in a family with eight children. His family tore apart during a war in Mozambique. When Raymond’s parents separated, his father married another woman. His father’s second wife wanted to live with a child during that time, so his father’s second wife sent someone to steal Raymond from his mother and bring him to her in South Africa. Sadly, this guy abandoned him along the way because, at that time, it was hard to move around in South Africa without a permit. It was the most critical moment in Raymond’s life, being left in the house with a certain family, deprived of parental love and care from his own family.
SAVED BY GRACE
By the grace of God, a white African missionary named Peter, found poor little Raymond. Peter took him in and helped him out. Because of apartheid, Peter had to put Raymond in one of the indigenous families to be raised there. After Raymond finished his education, he decided to focus on serving the Lord. Compared to his other family members, he is more privileged today than anyone because he was able to hear about Jesus Christ.
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO MOZAMBIQUE
Raymond grew up in South Africa where he was able to create his own family. He is now a father of four beautiful girls. His separation from his biological parents did not deface his being. His experience in life made his spiritual bond with the Lord stronger. All his spiritual wellness has been influenced by the person who saved him from the street. He joined All Nations in South Africa in 2003. At that time, All Nations International co-founder Floyd used to send teams from Kansas City to South Africa. In Cape Town a hub was established and Raymond was part of the first church planting training in South Africa in 2008. After the training, he started making disciples in Mozambique that same year. Since that time his team has planted around 43 house churches. His comeback to Mozambique gave him the time to search for his family and relatives. God led his way back to his family and they reunited. This has been a blessing from above!
After reuniting with his family, Raymond returned to South Africa doing discipleship and outreach activity in some areas. He also attended our Pioneer Business Planting Consultation in 2019 in Cape Town. However, the Lord pushed him back to Mozambique to continue his mission in his birth country. He focuses on the helping people start businesses and is making disciples and planting churches.
BUSINESSES AT MOZAMBIQUE
Raymond started his farming business where he continuously develops his garden with a variety of vegetables, a garden that can feed him and the community. During the recent Pioneer Business Planting training in Mozambique, the same garden supplied the vegetables for the team. He also has a farm growing cashew nuts and did some adventuring into several small businesses, including landscaping and fishing.
Vegetable Garden
On-going construction of Raymond’s House in Mozambique
BUILDING HIS HOUSE
Raymond is building his own house in Mozambique, with six bedrooms, two lounges, three bathrooms, a kitchen, one dining room, and a garage for two cars. This house is for his children but in the meantime, he is developing this as a mission house. Raymond is building his house with his own hands because he believes that it is biblical to work with your own hands. Jesus himself was a carpenter, other heroes of faith like Paul were known as a tent maker, Peter as a fisherman, and Luke as a doctor. And for him, Raymond tagged himself as a farmer because he loves farming. For him, in all the markets in the world, one market that will stand until the end is the food market.
Raymond and his team are focusing on reaching the 11 unreached people groups in Mozambique. He is trying to establish himself to ensure that his movements in those areas won’t be distracted by some difficulties and will be sustained. Right now, they have more than 60 house churches in the South and they are aiming to reach people in the North.
About the author: Written by Business for Movements from the hand of Matet Batugal. To learn more, go to (https://allnations.international/b4m).
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